LIRR Restarts Hourly Electric Service on 4 Branches as Full Peak Service Nears by Evening
Updated
Updated · WABC-TV · May 19
LIRR Restarts Hourly Electric Service on 4 Branches as Full Peak Service Nears by Evening
33 articles · Updated · WABC-TV · May 19
12 p.m. Tuesday marked the return of hourly electric trains on four main LIRR branches — Ronkonkoma, Babylon, Port Washington and Huntington — after the strike ended.
Full service was still ramping up, with officials saying normal operations would take time and full peak service across all branches, including diesel lines, should return by the evening commute.
The restoration timeline was aimed at handling both rush-hour demand and travel to the Knicks game at Madison Square Garden later Tuesday.
The service restart follows a tentative deal announced Monday night between the MTA and five LIRR unions, ending a three-day strike over wages.
The LIRR strike is over, but who will pay the final price for the new union deal?
After a 32-year truce, is this strike a sign of more public transit shutdowns to come?
With some staff earning $100k in overtime alone, is the LIRR's compensation model financially sustainable for New York?
The 2026 LIRR Strike: Causes, Economic Impact, and Lessons for New York’s Commuter Rail Future
Overview
The historic Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) strike, which began with a full suspension of service on the nation’s largest commuter line, ended on Monday evening, May 17, 2026, after intense negotiations between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and LIRR unions. Governor Kathy Hochul announced that a tentative labor agreement had been reached with five unions, paving the way for immediate service restoration and ending significant disruption for hundreds of thousands of commuters. This resolution followed days of uncertainty and highlighted the critical role of leadership and negotiation in resolving major transit disputes.